Human Cultures
Dawnforgers The Westerlands The West of Dawnforge is one of the largest bastions of humanity, gathering under the current flag of the Sword King. Many of them are proud in their individualism, but still remain vassals of the currently elected King. Many of them find themselves split between worship of the Old and New Gods, however small it may destabilize the balance of nobility. The Westerlands are split into five regions; Aldwynn, Dunamis, Mirningshire, Rexin and Ostora. While all Dawnforgers share similarities, there are a few details to differ them apart. The similarities between all Dawnforgers are typically the following; fair skin, blonde or brown hair, blue or brown eyes, 5-6ft tall and hosts of the common tongue. Dunadane From the rocky coasts of Dawnforge where Dunamis lies, the men and women there must as tough as their home to outlast the storm. Only the toughest settlers from old Drachonis became Dunadane, braving the harsh coast to land and colonize a brutal landscape. While a mixed breed of Aldywnnians and Rexinners they are now their own caste of warriors and knights. An area of highland clans and bustling trade towns, they are lovers of drink, the ocean and of song. They are tall, broad-shouldered with heavyset brows and square jaws. Many of them refuse to trim their beards, claiming it keeps the salt out. In reality they all stink of salt and smoke, but a better friend or drinking companion there never was. Aldwynnian From the west of Dawnforge lies Aldwynn, a metropolis of the Old World that now forms the hub of humanity. Culturally and historically it was the first region the former Drachen colonized and boasts the purest bloodline of old Drachonis. They are considered the heartland of magic and chivalry in Dawnforge; they keep the old traditions of Drachonis as cultural elements. They are tall, often with blonde hair and blue eyes. Many Aldwynnians are descendants of old Drachonis and practice magic in some form, so their dress and style differs from town-to-town. Mirningfolk From the Mirningshire of Dawnforge, where Mirningfolk are cruelly referred to as "Murkmen" for their love of the murky, black swamps they call their home. Mirningshire is the most fertile region of Dawnforge, so they are owed a modicum of respect. Some will tell you that despite their simple way of life, they could be masters of poison, using naturally occuring venoms from the beasts of the swamps. After spending so much time atop the water, Mirningfolk have frayed brown hair, hairy chins and dark eyes. They are usually accompanied with the smell of the earth and water. Ostoran From the land of Ostora are the two breeds of Ostoran; Salty Ostorans live along the coast in the rolling green hills and vineyards. Here they enjoy a warmer climate while they practice a much more sedated set of culture and customs than their Stony cousins. They are sun-kissed and tall with brown or blond hair and blue or brown eyes. They dress much more comfortably than a Stony Ostoran which is one way to tell them apart. The Stony Ostorans instead live in the hills and mountains, priding themselves on isolation, control over resources and a rather knightly pride. The hills of Ostora contain the majority of the Westerland's minerals which may give them an inflated sense of pride. While Salty Ostorans live in a state of enjoyment and excitement, it would seem that their Stony cousins instead are uptight about values, chivalry and law. You can tell a Stony from a group of Salty Ostorans by how they dress finely and walk as if they own the ground under their feet. Rexinner From the outskirts of the Westerlands exist the Rexinners, or the Xinners. Years of battling monsters on the reaches of the West have hardened them, making them so very distinct from the average Dawnforger. They operate in different societies of monster hunters, as a vanguard for the Sword Kings. Some Rexinners exist merely as fracticious village-dwellers and tribes, some reasonably refined and some savage. The colour of their thick skin is fawn with wild hair, and they often adorn themselves with trophies, tattoos and the unpleasant smell of monster guts. Allindoran Worthy of mention is the Free City of Allindor, where all men of Dawnforge gather under the same name; Allindoran. Allindor is the free state of Dawnforge, ruled by merchants and mercenaries. The people here are not just human, but they make up the majority. They believe in freedom of the soul and a life without lords and nobles, no gods or kings, only men. Many of them are merchants, adventurers and guildmen who rely on the multicultural hub of Allindor to create its own, unique culture and lifestyle. They are as mixed as imagination can allow, but most within are comprised from the regions here in Dawnforge. Occasionally others like the Warborn and Aerunneans will make their presence known, perhaps sharing in this new philosophy. Easterling From the Dread East of Dawnforge lies a few breeds of human known commonly as Easterlings. Within the East there are several different breeds of Easterling but they are typically more pale and strange than their cousins in the West. Vargossean From the cruel coast of Vargos lives the Vargossean, known as the Black Ones from their ritualistic style of tattooing. Some say that their mothers drink ink to stain their child in the womb with tattoos. They live in chaos; raiding and battling as pirates. They are masters of maritime conflict and well known for their violence on the open seas. At home in Vargos they aren't much better, living as barbarians and bandits in a lordless system where they only follow the strongest and most cunning. It's easy to recognise a Vargossean; they're covered in black tattoos and usually kindly informing you they're coming for your blood, gold and women. Stygian From the land of Stygia, descended from the exiles of Drachonis, lives the Stygian. Every Stygian is born with some magic in their soul even if only a little, but enough to harness. Despite living in a land called the "Dread East" they are more human and selfless than many of the ones they share the land with. What can be said for the way they dress is another matter. While the Aldwynnians may claim to be the purest bloodline of the Drachen, the Stygians dared to continue to live in the shadow of old Drachonis. Two major factions, the Church and the Choir, are the founding fathers to which all Stygians must belong to. The Church worships the Old Blood of Drachonis and many of them are clerics and paladins, while those of the Choir are often wizards, monks and sorcerers. They are a lithe, Elf-like breed of man with fine features and pale eyes they often hide behind metal visors. Many are half-Elves seemingly rejected from the bordering lands of Sothiriel. Asharni Split among squabbling tribes, the Asharni are heretical worshippers of Chaos who subsist in a vicious way of life. Aerruneans From beyond the Frozen North lies the Garden of Aerrune, where men and women somehow enjoy living in a place where the wind hurts your face. They claim to be an advanced group of men, practicing technology, socialism and democracy, but a good facade is a mask smiling. Some claim they are cowards, letting Raishicts do the fighting and keeping-of-the-peace for them. Aerruneans are a hairy, round-faced and gentle breed of man. They are often adorned with fine furs and robes to stave away the cold, unforgiving wind. Their love of fine food is unmatched, and a round belly is a sign of nobility there. Their accents are a result of a natural resilience to the frost, but others can mistake it as a tight-lipped and braggarts way of speech. All Aerruneans, whether highborn or born in some distant tribe, are typically proud and stubborn. The highborn make shrewd diplomats and traders while the lowborn are fearsome warriors and explorers. Carthusites From the Shadowlands to the Deep Woods are Carthusites, the strangest breed of man imaginable. Carthus was the home of demons during the Time of Dark, and now the humans residing within aren't much different. Carimasi The denizens of Carim, while still retaining the visage of humanity, bear striking differences to the rest of their kin. Like most of Carthus, what life is like inside Carim is up to speculation, for a Carimasi will never tell you the truth. What you can tell from just looking at them, though? They revel in the shock and awe of combat. Carimasi skin is pallid, as pale as bone, and their dark-rimmed eyes appear to be deeply-set in their sockets. This only compliments their often bright-coloured eyes, from shades of yellow to bright purple and green. Even their skulls suggest a vastly different structure than the standard offered by the rest of Starsong; a mouth so wide it spans well into the cheek area of the face, grimly reminiscent of a Glasgow smile. Furthermore, they appear to have black blood running in their veins. Apparently, despite all that, they're quite a pleasant folk. Their accents are a result of having an ever-present smile carved into their skulls, giving them a sly and sinister way of speech. The Raggedy Men They believe themselves to be descendants of the Old Gods; the chosen few. They have no fear of death, their time of dying is decided by their ancestors. Why should they wear armour when their death has been chosen for them? The Bone Mountains got the name from the bodies strewn across it, fitting that they make up its number. The Raggedy Men of the Bone Mountains have possibly the simplest explanation of all; they are raggedy, hairy and covered in bones and furs. Hence the name; Raggedy Men. Many of them seem to burn themselves ritualistically, only adding to their terrifying appearance. Myovosi Fear not the darkness, but fear what lurks within, for it has a thousand faces and a thousand voices. Also known as Patchwork Men, Betrayers or Skinstealers, they have no single appearance but many. They are believed to flay skin from the living and applying it to themselves, giving some a patchwork-like series of shades of skin colours, or another race's appearance in the entirety. Their entire lives revolves around assuming the life of another, hence the name Betrayer. They seem to revel in suffering, whether dealing it or receiving it. The land of Myovos is impassable to all but the Myovosi; could something inside the land be worse than they? Skelligers Like the rocks that break the waves, Skelligers have weathered many storms. From traders and artisans to raiders and warlords, they pride themselves on a destructive and obsessive way of life; war. From beyond the Garden of Aerrune along the north-west coast is the isle of Arl'Skellig, where tribes of humans live firmly set in the belief that they are born dead, earning them the nickname "Warborn." They are some of the toughest humans around, their average height being 6ft tall with broad shoulders, thick hair of many varieties and a rather fond adoration of combat. Their faces are comprised of nordic features; strong cheeks, flat noses and a refusal to remove their beards. While Skelligers set apart themselves from other clans using such means as tattoos, wearing bones or scarification, they are all massive and fearsome. Boletarians Boletaria matches Dawnforge in size, they too are as diverse as those of the birth continent. They usually share a darker complexion with brown eyes and black hair. Djaalic From the deserts of Djaal are the various Djaalic tribes or city-men. They are a fairly peaceful race, practicing art, music and healing rather than war and politics. They are either wandering nomads or cityfolk, spread thin across the massive wastes of Djaal. While everyone from Djaal is Djaalic, many set themselves apart such as the Nahari from the eastern plains of Naharis or the Pyranese of Pyran. In addition, all Djaalics are defined as either Badia or Hadhar; nomads or village and townsfolk. They are mahogany-skinned with soft dark eyes and an adoration for colour to offset the boring rolling dunes of Djaal. They are most notably some of the politest people on Starsong. Even the thieves say please and thank you. Karnerian Where order has broken down in Boletaria, where cruelty and lawlessness rules, Karnerians believe themselves to be justice. With little metal in their hills, their stone serves as both the root of their religion and the armour on their warriors. Some of the tallest humans alive are from Karneria, believed to be descendants of giants. They are a noble race of knights and warriors, steeped in centuries of tradition. Their land is beautiful; between mountains and marshes lie valleys and jungles alive with colour and life. They claim to hate Sainites for their love of Chaos. They are at least 6ft tall, in many cases 7ft, with dark skin, dark eyes, square jaws and heavy-set brows. The youth shave their heads constantly to look alike, as they believe the unity of the Commonwealth is their sole strength. Only upon completing one's service to the Commonwealth can one be allowed a modicum of individuality. Sainite While many fight for an empire or king, Sainites fight for the thrill of it. Whatever codes of honour or way of life they practice is unknown to the world as they live in secret. Many claim they practice blood sorcery and worship old, nameless things. From the dark shadow-jungles and poisonous swamps of Saine exist a breed of shamans, druids and hunters. They, like their mortal enemies the Karnerians, are steeped in tradition, but less honourably so. They claim to hate Karnerians for their close-minded way of living. They are short with hyena-like features, hunched backs and yellow teeth. Many of them are wild looking, covered in tattoos and ritualistic scarification. They are spindly to help navigate between the needle-trees and tree tops of Saine. Islander From the Reaching Isles and the Shattered Isles are multiple breeds of Islander. They share a few similarities, but mostly in appearance. The Isles themselves have multiple traditions and cultures that set themselves apart. They all possess a spirituality forgotten by the new world, a love of the sea and an appreciation for adventure. Many worship the sea, Zamanthras or the Kraekans who are ill-remembered. They are sun-kissed with dark hair and odd cream-coloured markings on their skin, typically on the forehead, forearms and face. Despite that, it is quite easy to tell which Islander is from which archipelago. Those of Catarinos are gentle, like those from Djaal they practice healing, music and art. This makes them ample targets for slavers, but their exotic goods and skills make them an important trading port. They live lives without much magic or technology instead practicing a life indebted to nature. They seemingly never cut their hair as a part of this attachment to nature. Those of Biersos are a matriarchy of warriors, druids and deep-sea fishermen. They are broad-shouldered and often covered in green and blue tattoos painfully poked into the skin. Those of Qohoros Daxian From the land of Daxia hails the Daxian, a breed of Boletarian so very unlike their sibling subraces. They are a godless theocracy, believing that Gods should be the ones that adore humans, and not the other way around. They instead worship the strength of the soul and the willpower of humanity. They are the only Boletarian nation to abolish slavery. Their location makes them a vital trading port, but their culture of divination and xenophobia means aggressive trade tariffs and a notoriously harsh system of law. They are a tall, long-necked race, their skin colour is either taupe or tanned-beige depending on where they're from within. Most worryingly is they all have red eyes and wildly designed hairstyles.